Shower bath chair

ABSTRACT

A chair made of a single-piece molded plastic laminate element specially designed for the safety and comfort of the person having a shower and the facilitation of personal cleanliness. It is provided with a spoon-shaped concave seat, with a lateral-back guarding flap and a front opening having three defined sectors for the optimum hygiene of men and women&#39;s private parts; similarly it has a feetrest which in combination with the frontal opening allows safe and easy cleanliness of feet and side handles which facilitate standing up from the seat, the seat projecting itself in a bending manner into the lower sector and turning into four reinforced equally-spaced legs with their respective cross-members.

FIELD OF APPLICATION

[0001] It is related to the field of personal cleanliness at the time ofhaving a shower and the safety devices contributing to it.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It deals with a chair made of a single-piece molded plasticlaminate element specially designed for the safety and comfort of theperson having a shower and the facilitation of personal cleanliness. Itis provided with a spoon-shaped concave seat, with a lateral-backguarding flap and a front opening having three defined sectors for theoptimum hygiene of men and women's private parts; similarly it has afeetrest which in combination with the frontal opening allows safe andeasy cleanliness of feet and side handles which facilitate standing upfrom the seat, the seat projecting itself in a bending manner into thelower sector and turning into four reinforced equally-spaced legs withtheir respective cross-members.

PRIOR ART AND CURRENT TECHNIQUE

[0003] No shower bath chair with the features of our invention is knownin the market.

[0004] Even though the priority search for patent documents performedturned to be negative concerning priorities with the same features ownedby our invention, for the sake of illustration, it is worthwhile quotingbelow some of the patents related to the subject matter and thedifferences with the present patent application. They are the following:

[0005] Argentine Utility Model Application M960104292: It relates to aCHAIR FOR HYGIENIC USE consisting of a tubular supporting structureformed by a pair of U-shaped folded elements parallelly arranged in aninverted manner with their divergent branches ending in arrangedperpendicular portions which end respect the ground and are capped withsmall wheels containing an axially rotary assembly. The seat consists oftwo rectangular boards assembled in an angular manner which are spacedone from the other.

[0006] Our invention is different in that it is a chair made of asingle-piece molded plastic laminate element specially designed for thesafety and comfort of the person having a shower and the facilitation ofpersonal cleanliness. It is provided with a spoon-shaped concave seat,with a lateral-back guarding flap and a front opening having threedefined sectors for the optimum hygiene of men and women's privateparts; similarly it has a feetrest which in combination with the frontalopening allows safe and easy cleanliness of feet and side handles whichfacilitate standing up from the seat. No rolling means is provided asthey would become a risk factor since absolute immobility is necessaryunder the shower.

[0007] Argentine Utility Model Application M960104292. It relates to aMOVABLE GERIATRIC ARMCHAIR FOR FAMILY USE essentially consisting of anarmchair with a back and armrests and a square seat with a round hole onits side sector, the seat ending in four wheeled legs. As indicated byits name, it is a geriatric armchair made of plastic to lower its costand it is not a device for the comfort and safety under the shower, eventhough it is provided with a central hole, which is more apt to placeurinals which allow the prostated patient to evacuate and urinate, thanto allow the hygiene of the user's private parts. The back, the flatseat and the armrests which make hygiene more difficult do notcontribute either, the same happens with the bearings which may causeinstability under the shower.

[0008] Our invention is different in that it has been designed for thesafety and comfort of the person having a shower and the facilitation ofpersonal cleanliness, provided with a spoon-shaped concave seat, with alateral-back guarding flap and a front opening having three definedsectors for the optimum hygiene of men and women's private parts;similarly it is provided with a feetrest which in combination with thefrontal opening allows safe and easy cleanliness of feet and sidehandles which facilitate standing up from the seat. No rolling means isprovided as they would become a risk factor since absolute immobility isnecessary under the shower.

[0009] U.S. Patent of Invention N° 6.122.776. “BATHING SEAT”. It dealswith a special chair consisting of a supporting inverted U-shaped basemade of pipes, with an adjustable width and height, the parallel beamsor cross-members having a big size in length in order to allow thedisplacement of the seat on them. The seat consists of a rigid holedplate, the same as the back. This chair allows to have a general showerwith certain stability, but it becomes practically impossible to cleanprivate parts.

[0010] PCT European Patent of Invention Application N° PCT/AU9100016.“BATH SEAT ASSEMBLY”. It consists of a tubular structure adjustable to abathtub which supports a flat seat with armrests and back and aninflatable tongue underneath which allows to move the seat from itshighest to its lowest position. Unlike our invention, this chair is notprovided with an access to clean the user's private parts, making itmore difficult due to the flatness of the seat and the armrests andback, which are anyway essential in this design for the user'sstability.

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,626. “INVALID BATH CHAIR WITH THERAPEUTICWHIRPOOL”. The chair consists of a tubular structure on which a U-shapedseat is assembled with an opening towards the back side of the chair, itis also provided with an armrest and a back so that the user may keepstability. Under the seat and in relation to it, there is a sprinklerplate connected to an electric motocompressor which produces a pressureair source under the seat, which produces a hydraulic whirpool upwardswhen the shower water falls. In spite of the spectacular nature of thedevice, the user cannot perform the hygiene of his private parts on hisown (the back opening of the seat, the armrest, and so on). From theaforementioned, it can be inferred that the present invention is meantto help with the cleanliness of an invalid person, as indicated by itstitle.

[0012] Our invention is different in that it is a chair made of asingle-piece molded plastic laminate element specially designed for thesafety and comfort of the person having a shower and the facilitation ofpersonal cleanliness. It is provided with a spoon-shaped concave seat,with a lateral-back guarding flap and a front opening having threedefined sectors for the optimum hygiene of men and women's privateparts; similarly it has a feetrest which in combination with the frontalopening allows safe and easy cleanliness of feet and side handles whichfacilitate standing up from the seat.

[0013] The present invention provides a series of advantages and solvessafety problems related to having a bath under the shower.

[0014] The anatomical design with a spoon-shaped concave seat andinclined towards the back sector is an advantage of the presentinvention because, due to it, the user remains held up within it, firmlytightened in spite of all the movements he may make to carry out hishygiene, the concave shape of the spoon-shaped seat will tend to centerhim into it; in summary, it avoids any accidental fall of the user thatmay result in severe consequences.

[0015] Another advantage of the present invention is thelateral-contouring flap which surrounds the seat by the sides and theback sector, considering that the seat is not provided with a back andan armrest, it prevents an accidental slipping out of the seat.

[0016] A significant advantage incorporated by this invention is thethree sector front opening which allows a deep, comfortable and safehygiene of the user's private parts.

[0017] The feetrest is a supplementary advantage provided by thisinvention, because in combination with the front opening allows acomfortable and safe hygiene of the feet, as well as the necessarycutting of the nails.

[0018] Similarly, specially for elderly people, the handles provided bythe present invention represent an outstanding advantage at the momentof standing up and leaving the seat, since the person may help himselfby means of his arms's strength.

[0019] In order to visualize the advantages briefly commented above, towhich the users and those skilled in the art may add many more, belowthere is a description of a preferred embodiment schematicallyillustrated without a determined scale on the enclosed sheet where:

[0020]FIG. 1: shows a perspective view of the chair of the presentinvention.

[0021]FIG. 2: shows a plan view of the same chair of the presentinvention.

[0022]FIG. 3: shows a lateral view of the same chair of the presentinvention.

[0023] In order to relate the figures above mentioned with thedescription below, the equal parts or pieces shown in the differentfigures have been numbered with a common numerical reference.

[0024] The “SHOWER BATH CHAIR” of the present invention consists of aplastic laminate element molded into a single-piece with the shape of achair 1, comprising a concave seat 2, spoon-shaped with a slope towardsthe back sector, and a lateral-back guarding flap 3 originated at thefront sector and gradually and symmetrically ascending towards the backsector forming a curved surface without continuity with the seat 2.

[0025] Said seat 2 shows a three-sector front opening which enterssymmetrically and transversely, a first sector 4 with a wide and curvedopening originated adjacent to the sides and which closes in a bendingmanner on the center of the seat, where it continues through the middlesector 5, with a semicircular, slightly wider perimeter, where itcontinues through the third sector 6, longitudinal, slightly trapezoidalwhich finishes at a curved end adjacent to the contouring flap at theback sector.

[0026] On the sides of the contouring flap 3, two pairs of handles 7originate symmetrically in the same continuity of the material.

[0027] The seat 2 projects towards the lower sector in curved edges,forming four equally-spaced legs 8, said legs 8 joined by respectivecross-members.

[0028] On cross-member 9, at the front sector, there are two feetrests10.

[0029] At the back sector of the chair 1, two curved entrances 11 of thecontouring flap 3 are provided, related to the legs 8 which allow theirstacking, so that if necessary, for the use of these chairs 1 by severalpeople at the same time, such as in clubs, elderly people homes, etc.,they can be piled to occupy less room.

USE

[0030] The chair is placed under the shower on the bathtub and theperson can carry out his private cleanliness easily and safely; if hewishes to wash his feet or cut his feet fingernails, he will only haveto place them on the feetrest and do the job with good vision,comfortably and safely.

[0031] The constructive and functional advantages which characterize thepresent invention can be derived from the descriptions andrepresentations in the accompanying figures and represent anadvantageous improvement in the art, therefore the invention fallswithin the scope of the provisions of the pertinent Law and protectionis requested according to the claims below.

I claimed: 1) A “SHOWER BATH CHAIR” of the type made of a plasticlaminate element molded into a single-piece with the shape of a chaircharacterized in that it comprises a concave spoon-shaped seat with aslope towards the back sector, and a lateral-back guarding flaporiginated at the front sector and gradually and symmetrically ascendingtowards the back sector forming a curved surface without continuity withthe seat, said seat having a three-sector front opening which enterssymmetrically and transversely, a first sector with a wide and curvedopening originated adjacent to the sides and which penetrates in abending manner on the center of the seat, where it continues through amiddle sector, with a semicircular , slightly wider perimeter, where itcontinues through a third sector, longitudinal, slightly trapezoidalwhich finishes at a curved end adjacent to the contouring flap at theback sector. 2) A “SHOWER BATH CHAIR” as claimed in 1 characterized inthat it comprises a pair of symmetrical handles on the sides of thecontouring flap in the same continuity of the material. 3) A “SHOWERBATH CHAIR” as claimed in any of the prior claims characterized in thatthe seat projects towards the lower sector in curved edges, forming fourequally-spaced legs joined by respective cross-members. 4) A “SHOWERBATH CHAIR” as claimed in any of the prior claims characterized in thatthe cross-member of the front sector has two feetrests. 5) A “SHOWERBATH CHAIR” as claimed in any of the prior claims characterized in thattwo curved entrances of the contouring flap are arranged at the backsector of the chair, related to the stackable insertion of the legs.